Clam Pasta

1. As soon as you bring the 1 lb manila clams back from the market, you must clean and de-grit them of sand and dirt; you can follow my tutorial. Start this process 1 hour prior to cooking.
2. Gather all the ingredients.

To Cook the Pasta

1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add ½ lb spaghetti, stirring occasionally, to prevent it from sticking together. Cook until al dente. Drain the pasta into a colander.

To Cook the Clams

1. Meanwhile, in a large sauté pan, heat 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil over medium heat. When it’s hot, add 2 cloves garlic (minced) and 2 dried red chili pepper (thinly sliced). Reduce the heat to medium low and sauté until fragrant. Be careful not to burn the garlic.
2. Add the clams and ½ cup dry white wine and increase the heat to medium. Quickly cover and steam for 5 minutes or until all the clams have opened.
3. Discard the clams that didn’t open. Finely chop 1 sprig parsley and add some of it to the pan (reserve some for garnish). Then, season with ⅛ tsp freshly ground black pepper. Transfer the clams to a plate.
4. Taste the sauce and season with more pepper and up to ¼ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt, as needed. The clams are already salty, so you probably don‘t need to add too much salt.

To Make the Clam Pasta

1. Add the pasta to the pan with the clams and toss until the pasta is coated with the sauce.
2. Remove from the heat. Transfer the spaghetti to a serving plate and add the clams on top. Sprinkle with some chopped parsley and serve immediately.